Follower.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

B. J. LYNCH. FOLLOWER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 5, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented'June 5, 1906;

Application filed October 5, 1905. Serial No. 281,550.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BARTHOLOMEW J. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olyphant, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Followers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to followers adapted to retain meats and other-substances submerged in a pickling solution and its primary lower from the receptacle for this purpose.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a follower which comprises two parts which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherem- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a follower constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the head-block, illustrating the manner in which the screw is secured to the wedge; and Fig. 3 is a'perspective view of a portion of one of the longitudinal movable members, illustrating the hinged joint.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 designates a head-block to which is slidably secured, bymeans of brackets 2, longitudinal movable members 3 and 4, said members being provided with handles 3 and 4 by means of which the follower may be applied to and removed from a receptacle. The opposing faces 'of the members 3 and 4 are inclined to form an intervening V-shaped space to permit a wedge-block to be positioned between the members. A screw 6 is threaded through the block 1 and has a swiveled connection with the wedge 5, said screw being provided with a handle 7, by means of which it may be operated. A downward movement of the screw moves the wedge downward, which in turn forces the members 3 and 4 outward by moving downward over their inclined faces.

The brackets 2 comprise vertical and horizontal members, the vertical members being dovetailed into the head-block and horizontal members, as fully illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The member 4 is made in two parts united by a hinge 8, which is construct ed to permit the outer or hinged portion of the member to be swung upwardly and to prevent said portion swinging downward be low the inner or rigid portion of the member. To retain the hinged portion rigid or in aline ment with the rigid portion of this member, I provide a bolt 10, which is mounted in grooves 9, located in the faces of the hinged and rigid portions of the member. The bolt 10 is provided with a grip 11 and is adapted to be moved to engage both grooves when it is desired to retain the hinged portion rigid or to be moved out of the groove in the hinged portion when it is desired to raise the hinged portion to gain access to the substances being pickled. Secured to the inner faces of the members 3 and 4 m transverse dovetail grooves 12 are pressure-frames 13. These frames are composed of main slats l3 and cross-slats 14, the slats 14 being secured to the slats 13 on opposite sides of the menibers 3 and 4 by means of wooden pins 14. Similar pins may be used to secure the slats 13 to the members 3 and 4 against movement.

The lower end of the screw 6 is provided with an annular groove 5 and is positioned in a recess 16, formed in the upper face of the wedge. A plate 17 is dovetailed into the upper face of the wedge and is designed to engage in the groove 15 of the screw 6, whereby to swivel the screw upon the wedge and to permit the screw to be readily and quickly attached to and detached from the wedge.

The operation of the device is as follows: The wedge 5 being in raised position, the longitudinal members 3 and 4 drawn inward, and the hinged portion of the member 4 swung upward the device is placed in a vessel containing the substance to be pickled. After the device is in the receptacle the hinged portion is swung downward into alinement with the rigid portion and locked in this position by the bolt 10. The follower is then forced the substance being pickled, it is first neces sary to move the bolt 10 out of the slot in the hinged portion of the member 4.

The follower is adapted to be constructed of any suitable non-corrosive material to obviate all liability of the substance being tainted or otherwise deteriorated, as is common when metal followers are used.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having fully described and illustrated my invention, what I claim is 1. A follower of the character described, a head-block, members movably carried by the head-block, one of said members having a hinged portion, a pressure-frame secured to said hinged portion, another pressure-frame secured to the other member, and means for moving the pressure-frames laterally.

2. A follower of the character described, a head-block, members movably carried by the head-block, said members having their opposing ends inclined to provide an intervening U-shaped space, a wedge interposed between the opposing ends of the members, a screw carried by the head-block and engaging the wedge, and pressure-frames secured to the members.

3. A follower of the character described, a head-block, members carried by the headblock, one of said members being provided with a hinged portion, means adapted to retain the hinged portion rigid, a pressureframe secured to said hinged portion, another pressure-frame secured to the other member, and means for moving the members laterally.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BARTHOLOMEW J. LYN OH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. LEWIS, J. W. BAUMGARDEN. 

